Sir Edward Walter Parkes (born 19 May 1926) was Vice-Chancellor of City University London from 1974 to 1978 and Leeds University from 1983 to 1991.

Parkes attended King Edward's School, Birmingham

King Edward's School, Birmingham

King Edward's School is an independent secondary school in Birmingham, England, founded by King Edward VI in 1552. It is part of the Foundation of the Schools of King Edward VI in Birmingham, and is widely regarded as one of the most academically successful schools in the country, according to...

 and St John's College Cambridge, where he obtained a first class degree in mechanical engineering

Mechanical engineering

Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...

. He married Margaret Parr (1925-2007) and they had two children.

Other posts included Head of the Department of Engineering at Leicester University in the 1960s and Chairman of the UK University Grants Committee

University Grants Committee (UK)

The University Grants Committee was an advisory committee of the British government, which advised on the distribution of grant funding amongst the British universities. It was in existence from 1919 until 1989...

 in the early 1980s. From 1989 to 1991 he was Chairman of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals

Universities UK

Universities UK began life as the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals of the Universities of the United Kingdom in the nineteenth century when there were informal meetings involving Vice-Chancellors of a number of universities and Principals of university colleges...

.